Get your motions in for Unite Policy Conference 2018

Unite will be holding its next Policy Conference in Brighton 2-6 July 2018. This is the opportunity for every member to shape our union’s policy. The process is already under way, with branches and committees sending in motions for the conference agenda. If you want to get a motion onto the agenda, you need to act now. Motions have to be agreed by a branch or committee and sent in to Unite HQ no later than 9 February 2018.

Photo: @bluegreen_cathy on Twitter

Step one is to draft your motion. There are full guidelines here. If you’ve never done it before, don’t be put off, but do ask for help if you need it.

Each branch and each constitutional committee (i.e. Regional & National Industrial Sector Committee; Regional & National Equality Committee, Regional Committee, Area Activist Committee) can submit one motion on any general policy topic (i.e. not about a particular sector and not requiring a change to Unite’s rules). The National Retired Members’ Committee and each Regional Retired Members’ Co-ordinating Committees can also submit one motion each, but these can only be on about matters solely pertaining to members in retirement.

The meetings held round the country before Unite Rank & File launched came up with lots of ideas, including areas where we can campaign to improve union policy. Note that there’s no need to submit motions to restate existing policy – motions should change existing policy or add to it.

Here are some suggestions to get you thinking – feel free to comment with your own ideas or what you’ve already submitted:

Organising / industrial action:

Disputes unit support, focused on winning, not just legal compliance, for all disputes from an early stage

Improve support for company and sub-sector combines

Increasing lay member involvement in organising

Response to the Trade Union Act 2016

Review / overhaul Unite education in the light of government funding cuts

Facility for levies (e.g. for strike funds) by workplace / employer, not just branch – for many members branch doesn’t directly match employer / workplace

Recruitment and organising of migrant workers and refugees

Democracy / accountability:

Review of Unite structures to better support members in multi-region employers

Investigate the role of union officials in blacklisting, and support the Blacklist Support Group

Policy against officers approaching employers over the heads of reps / branch officers

Tackle non-functioning branches so members aren’t left without a functioning branch for long periods

Improve Unite grievance and complaint procedures

Change General Secretary elections to Single Transferable Vote

Ban branches passing member data to campaigns or third parties during Unite elections